


Sweet Like Chocolate

by Claire



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Established Relationship, M/M, earthside
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2005-07-03
Updated: 2005-07-03
Packaged: 2019-01-21 03:32:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 612
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12448788
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Claire/pseuds/Claire
Summary: Because somewhere along the way she'd become home.





	Sweet Like Chocolate

It was still dark when John Sheppard woke up, hands instinctively reaching out for the warm body that should have been next to him only to find the space empty and cooling. Frowning, he got out of the bed, shivering slightly as the air hit his sleep-warmed skin, and walked through into the apartment's lounge.

The room illuminated by the soft light of a city that never slept, John stopped as he saw Rodney McKay staring out of the window, hands wrapped around a steaming cup. "Is everything okay?" he asked as he started to close the distance between them.

Rodney turned around and looked at him, unsurprised by John's presence. "Just thinking," he said.

John grinned as he reached the other man. "You know Radek had no problems with the defence shield upgrade. He would have contacted you if he had."

"That's not what I was thinking about," Rodney objected.

John just looked at him.

Rodney sighed softly. "Okay, that's not _all_ I was thinking about," he finally admitted before taking a drink from the cup in his hands.

A soft scent reached John and he was surprised to find it wasn't what he'd thought it was. "Chocolate?"

Rodney shrugged, unapologetically. "I couldn't live without coffee, but some days you just need chocolate."

John smiled in agreement, taking the cup from Rodney and lifting it to his lips. The sweet taste of chocolate washed over his tongue, triggering memories of long ago and winters spent with his grandparents.

Rodney turned back to the window. "It hasn't changed, and yet-"

"It's totally different?" John supplied when Rodney didn't complete the sentence.

"I mean, it's been three years, so being back is bound to be strange, but still." He motioned to the view of the Toronto skyline.

"But you still don't expect to feel like an alien in the place you were raised." John reached out, fingers resting on Rodney's arm. If he'd noticed John's lack of the word home he didn't say anything.

"What time do we fly out tomorrow?" Rodney asked suddenly.

"1300 hours. One flight to Colorado Springs and we'll be back on Atlantis in no time." John placed the cup on the table behind him as he moved and wrapped his arms around Rodney, the other man solid in his embrace.

Rodney wasn't the only one feeling it. They'd fought and bled for Atlantis and somewhere along the way she'd become home. Corridors and empty rooms had ceased being places to simply catalogue and explore and had started being memories. The corridor next to the Infirmary where Rodney had first kissed him, all heat and need and want wrapped up in desperation after the mission to Illana that had nearly gone so very wrong. The tower on the North pier, the one that filled with light and colour during the day, where they had said goodbye to too many good people. The rooms that Bates's team had found on one of the East lower levels that had turned out to be the Ancient equivalent of Roman baths. John couldn't help but grin at the memories that came along with _that_ one.

John was brought out of his thoughts by the feel of Rodney's fingers interlacing with his, and a tickle of ironic amusement welled in him. If four years ago someone had told him he'd be thinking of home in terms of an alien city and a snarky Canadian, a snarky _male_ Canadian, he would have called them insane. But that was what had happened. Atlantis and Rodney McKay, each of them meaning home in their own unique way. And Colonel John Sheppard wouldn't have it any other way.


End file.
